For scorching speed and sizzling looks it's hard to better the Giant NRS Composite 2. This off-road rocket boasts a feathery carbon frame that bounds up climbs while its front and rear suspension devour obstacles on the way back down.
Submitted by
Eric
a Weekend Warrior
from Fort Dodge, Iowa Date Reviewed: September 28, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Sugar bottom
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$1200.00
Purchased At:
ebay
Strengths:
The stiffness of the carbon frame completely negates the factors for which I sold the aluminum version of this bike. I was always flexing the AL version of this NRS at the bottom bracket, could feel it with every pedal stroke. I'm not a small guy, and not hard on equipment either, but the AL versions were too light for me. I loved the suspension design though, and it does really well in the kind of environment I ride in.
Weaknesses:
Should have come with a 100 mm front fork instead of an 80.
Similar Products Used:
2001 Aluminum NRS
Bike Setup:
Hayes HFX9 carbons, Full XTR, Easton Monkey lite bar, Thompson stem, Eggbeaters.
Bottom Line:
I owned and rode extensively a 2001 NRS 1 (aluminum) for about 2.5 years. It was a great bike and I really enjoyed it. What I didn't like was that the frame was so flexy. I took a gamble after being without a good full suspender for a couple of years and bought a C2 on e-bay. The stiffness of the C2 completely resolved all of the issues I had with the AL version. So I kitted it out with full XTR. It's really a sweet bike to ride now. I just wish it had a 100 mm front fork instead of the 80 mm Fox. Maybe one day I'll upgrade. Or I can just ride the 7" travel squishy bike next to it. Overall, the C2 is a great bike. A few choice upgrades makes it outstanding. You don't need full XTR. Shifters and rear Der make a good start.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Scott
a Racer
from Toronto, Ontario, Canada Date Reviewed: May 18, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Porcupine Rim & Amasa Back
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$2700.00
Purchased At:
Cycle Solutions
Strengths:
The NRS C2 frame is light and responsive. There is virutally no bob when climbing and you loose very little power through the pedal stroke in the full suspension. Through the rough stuff the carbon frame soaks up all the vibration usually associated with hard terraine. This thing is amazing!!!
Weaknesses:
So far I've had a few problems but nothing my bike shop wasn't able to support. For instance... The Hayes Sole disk brakes kept backing out over long rides... I put some blue locktite on the screws but it kept getting all over the place. This seized my brakes and had to be serviced by the shop. Next I had problems with the front Fox fork. They had to be sent back to Fox for servicing and to add insult to injury, Fox was unwilling to warranty the fork. They sent a $150.00 bill for a product that was faulty and barely a year old. And finally, the Easton EA 50 seat post that came stock with the bike literally fused with the carbon frame. It had to be released with prolink... Somehow when I'm riding the sweat trickles off my forehead and on to the seat post. The salt completely corrorid the post. I've never seen anything like this. Despite these problems the bike is by far the sweetest ride ever.
Similar Products Used:
Santa Cruze Blur XC
Bike Setup:
XT crank and rear deraileur, LX front Der, Hayes Sole disc brakes, 317 disc wheeles, Cerit hubs, thompson seat post, Thompson stem, crank brothers pedals, LX shifters.
Bottom Line:
The bottom line is that this amazing frame was combined with a terrible component setup. But nevertheless, the bike, with a few upgrades is everything I could possibly want in a high performance mountain bike. The manufacturer could have put a better set of components but it would have increased the cost of the bike greater than $3000.00 this would have excluded many people from buying in at that price point. So, when you buy, try to negoitate a few upgrades and be prepared to spend a little to creat the ultimate bike. Remember your getting a carbon composite frame. With a few upgrades you will have a very fast bike.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
matt H.
a Cross Country Rider
from oregon Date Reviewed: May 16, 2006
Favorite Trail:
any single track and cross country!
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$1700.00
Purchased At:
frame on ebay,parts from bikepeddler.
Strengths:
well to start out with i bought this frame, then put custon wheels on it, rock shox JUdy4 fork on the front, and i got hayes disc barkes on it and, and a fox float r shox on the back! this bike is all custom! this climbs great!it kicks a hard tails ass at every thing! climbing, it has no bob, and the shox works so good on the down hills the parts on it are insanely nice the hole thing is awesome ive been riden a hard tail sense i was 10 which was 5 years ago and this bike is the best mtb in book!
Weaknesses:
none jus have 2 clean it alot cuz i love it so much!
Similar Products Used:
rocky mt. slayer, and the Giant anthem!
Bike Setup:
hayes disc, JUdy4 rock shox,fox float r shox on back, race face crank and other parts jus dont wana name em all!
Bottom Line:
this bike kick ass!jus about anything made by giant does!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Doug
a Cross Country Rider
from Snoqualmie, WA, USA Date Reviewed: March 14, 2006
Favorite Trail:
Kachess Ridge
Duration Product Used:
1 Year
Price Paid:
$2250.00
Purchased At:
Performance Bike
Strengths:
Everything that's great about riding a hardtail with the benefits of 3" of rear travel. The bike is light, fast, corners well, and doesn't bob.
Weaknesses:
The cables wear through the finish quickly, the So1e disc brakes are not very well designed and had to be replaced. The bike comes with Hutchinson Python tires which are great for racing, but I wanted something with a bit more aggressive tread for technical singletrack.
Similar Products Used:
Klein Attitude Comp
Bike Setup:
I upgraded to Avid Juicy Seven brakes, everything else is stock.
Bottom Line:
Highly recommend this bike for anyone moving from a hard tail to a full suspension but wanting to maintain the stiffness and agility of the former. This bike can handle anything from racing up to technical singletrack with small drops. Wouldn't want to hit any big jumps or drops with it, but it's perfect for everything else. Had this bike have shipped with better brakes and internally-routed cables, it would be a dream.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Todd McCarthy
a Cross Country Rider
from Portland OR. USA Date Reviewed: December 22, 2005
The cables and brake lines wear throgh the finsh quickly. The Sole brakes are not good if you are going to ride hard. I would not use these brakes if you are going to RACE the bike.
Similar Products Used:
Truth, Blur, Epic
Bike Setup:
New XT Crankset, Thomson stem and Elit setback seatpost, Easton Carbon MonkeyLite Handlebar, Hayes Carbon 9 disc with V6 rotors, Mavic 717 XC Disc rims with XT Hubs, Time ATAC XS Carbon Pedals
Bottom Line:
Great bike for the money.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Milwaukeehaze
a Cross Country Rider
from Glendale, WI Date Reviewed: December 22, 2005
Favorite Trail:
All of them!
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$1700.00
Purchased At:
Wheel & Sprocket
Strengths:
Lightweight, plush feel with no "bob", handles like a hardtail, and looks cool.
Weaknesses:
Only the Hayes So1e brakes.
Similar Products Used:
Only hardtails
Bike Setup:
All XT drivetrain except for stock raceface crank, SRAM rocket trigger shifters, Avid Juicy 7 disc brakes, Thomson post, WTB rocket V stealth saddle, EA70 carbon bar, control tech carbon bar ends, EA70 stem, and bontrager race-lite wheels. Everything else (which isn't much) is stock...frame and Fox fork and rear shock.
Bottom Line:
This bike is awesome! I have owned 3 hardtails...2 Trek 8000's and a Klein Attitude and all were excellent bikes, but moving to a FS bike was the best move I have made! This bike eats up every bump with ease and handles like a hardtail, but will save my back on epic rides.
As you can see from the bike setup section, I have upgraded almost everything except for the frame and shocks and it comes in at just over 25 lbs. My Klein was 24.5, so this is awesome for a FS bike.
The bike came with some decent components, but the Hayes So1e brakes were terrible. I had the Hayes HFX-9 on my Klein and they were good. So, I upgraded to the Avid Juicy 7 and they rock!
If you can get your hands on this bike for a decent price like I did, go for it because it will be the best investment you make in a bike.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Todd A
a Weekend Warrior
from Columbus,Oh Date Reviewed: November 20, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Lake Hope State Park Trails
Duration Product Used:
Less than 1 month
Price Paid:
$2500.00
Purchased At:
Frame and some parts at Bike Dr.
Strengths:
Light Weight, Weenies rejoyce! Stiff and responsive it was very fast.
Weaknesses:
Price, but you get what you pay for.
Similar Products Used:
Trek fuel, cannondale scalple
Bike Setup:
Giant NRS Carbon Frame, Sette carbon riser bar, Sette edge stem, Carbon headset spacers, XT Dual Controls, Rock Shox SID Race, Mavic XC Disk 717's rim w/ XT hubs, IRC Mythos tires w/ tubs, XT Crank w/ shimano ES71 BB, SRAM HOllow Pin chain, XT fr derailer, XTR rear derailer, Sram SG 990 Cassette 05', Sette apex carbon seat post, selle san marco saddle, wellgo SPD/cage pedals for Adventure raceing.
Bottom Line:
This is a self build, my first at putting a custom bike together with high end gear. Fortunatley I already had the Sid and the 717's it saved about $650. I called around and found out that Giant sells the frames for $1000 to shops but retail to buyers for $1700. Got lucky and bought it from bike dr. in Heath for $1491 tax. The build was on. The bike bought as is comes with race face which is good gear but I chose lighter. Depending on the scale I use this full suspension weighs around 25 lbs.
I finly got out and did a first ride with little daylight at Alumn Creek and it bombed down hill, gained uphill well and switchbacks were made with an ease I have never ridden with before. Honestly I'd say I'm a poor rider, but with this I'm fair. My trek 4900 hardtail bounced and threw me around. This sucks up the tril prblems roots and rocks. I hate to say a good bike can make for a better rider. I adventure race and have found that a light weight full suspension is the only way to go. This can only be accomplished with carbon to keep weight down and flexibility. The bb is stiff and smooth other than tweeking the bike its probably the last MTN bike I may own.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Aaron Martin
a Cross Country Rider
from San Diego Date Reviewed: October 14, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Noble canyon
Duration Product Used:
6 months
Purchased At:
Performance
Strengths:
Light, great climber, nimble, very fast
Weaknesses:
The sole brakes just are just plain dangerous. The bike is almost to pretty to ride.
Similar Products Used:
I have tried them all
Bike Setup:
stans no tubes ztr olympic rims, Kenda nevegals, xtr rear and shifters. thompson stem and post, candy c pedals
Bottom Line:
Follow up on my first review. After several trips to Performance and a letter to their corporate office I was finally give a new set of hayes 9 brakes that have worked very well. the so1e brakes were giving me the same issues as others have had and on one trip to the shop the bike was given back to me with brakes that did not work. I complained and they were replaced. I have since made upgrades. I got some wheels built by dave at speed dreams and shaved almost 1.5 pounds off the bike. Other upgrades have me down to under 24 pounds and the bike is more responsive than ever. The carbon has proven to be strong. I have had a few severe crashes one of which involved a head on impact at high speed that put me in the emergency room. I was more concerned about the bike but it came through without a scratch. I am 200 pounds and I have been riding an average of 50 miles a week since I got it so it has taken a beating. The only problems I have had have been a result of my crashes or other screw ups. besides the brakes the bike has been very solid. Passing people on climbs is very satisfying. The shocks have required no adjustments or maintenance. the allen bolts at the rear wheel on the chainstay have a tendency to loosen and creak but a drop of blue locktite ended that problem,
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Tony Clemente
a Cross Country Rider
from Sierra Vista, AZ, USA Date Reviewed: September 27, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Canal Loop KY
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$2000.00
Purchased At:
Supergo
Strengths:
This bike is fast. I sold my NRS2 and got this bike and love it. It points and rides the lines I want it to. The Fox front and rear combo are excellent. I normally want 100mm front but with the bike set-up I have the 80mm is sweet.
Weaknesses:
I am just afraid to scratch the carbon frame. I actually just purchased a Trance for my trail bike to prevent this poblem.
Bike Setup:
XTR (Rapid rise) rear, EA 70 Straight bars w/Cane creek bar ends, Mavic Crossland Wheels with Hutchinson Spyders
Bottom Line:
This bike is a Hard tail minus the butt beating.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Anthony Hutton
a Racer
from OcalaFlorida,USA Date Reviewed: September 11, 2005
Favorite Trail:
razorback
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Purchased At:
santosbikeshop
Strengths:
Fox forks were stiff and buttery smooth, NRS suspension offers incredible efficiency. I liked the new LX components (with rapidrise). The bike just feels so fast!
Weaknesses:
Sometimes under hard braking, rear suspension tops out. Brakes (hayes sole) must be adjusted frequently and fade after longer rides.
Bike Setup:
Mostly stock. Switched WTB saddle for a specialized rival saddle. Also installed an avid 'rollamajig' for smoother shifting.
Bottom Line:
This bike is worthy of upgrades for years to come. While not an all mountain trail bike,a perfect full suspension bike for racing and blistering perfomance with a smaller price tag than its sibling: the composite 1. If you enjoy all day excursions, the bike is plush enough to keep you comfortable too.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Ryan
a Cross Country Rider
from Niagara Falls Date Reviewed: August 25, 2005
Duration Product Used:
Tested or demo'ed only
Strengths:
Sexy carbon Fox shox Smooth LX gear Great NRS suspension Pretty light Good value like all Giant bikes.
Weaknesses:
Like the others said, with a bike that wants to go so fast, it should have better brakes to slow it down when needed. The so1es were only marginally better than my HMX-1's.
Similar Products Used:
Sugar, Cake, Trance
Bike Setup:
stock
Bottom Line:
wow, this bike really sold me on the NRS design. It put a smile on my face. It is awesome how there is absolutely no bob at all even when hammering. Something many bikes can't pull off. The NRS has a reputation of being harsh, but i was plesantly surprised by the smoothness it could offer as well. A huge improvement over a hardtail. Sure, not as smooth as a trance or cake, but it is designed for a little bit different style of riding. The new LX stuff was so smooth as well. Very good choice for the C2. The fox fork was very stiff, and offers lockout as well. Great ride!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Tommy Torres
a Cross Country Rider
from IL Date Reviewed: August 12, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Bullfrog
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$1000.00
Purchased At:
On-line
Strengths:
Awesome climber (makes me feel like a better climber), steering is in complete dialation, pretty light and lightning fast, bobless yet plush when needed, FOX shocks rock, the CF frame is sexy & mezmerizing
Weaknesses:
Rear derailuer kept slamming frame. I could have tuned it, but I threw on a SRAM X.9 and soon an X.0. Brakes are weak. Doable, but not very consistant. Need to go Juicy soon. Rear stock Pythons are hooked up, but at times the front washes out easily.
It had me at "hello Halo-halo hill!" There were some climbs that just use to kick my butt, but the bike just seems to want to take me where ever I want to go. Down hills are fun, fast and easier to manage. Nothing hardcore like 7ft drops, but it easily handles jumps, logs, roots, ruts, whatever, with precision and speed. She is sooo dialed. The FOX shocks are key to the her all-terrain stance and balance. Their adjustabilities are all that's needed for XC.
The brake are pretty much broken in, but they seem to fade at what I would normally think were medium length descents.
How tough is this bike? I was single-tracking her and took a hard left over a root that shot down into a 20-25ft ravine. Nose dived the front tire at the bottom to roll it into a 10" rock that threw me and the bike pretty hard. I was mangled, but the NRS was not damaged.
Two of my friends have Carbon NRS's so it's fun to see them in action, because you know you're working the same pace and looking the part as well. I really enjoy this bike and I'm sure anybody else would too. If you're looking for an all out XC assult on all your favorite trails, the NRS C2 is the one for you. Happy trails!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Mark Mager
a Racer
from Colorado Springs, CO Date Reviewed: July 11, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Many
Duration Product Used:
Tested or demo'ed only
Strengths:
Great bike! Zero bob while climbing and plush on the downhills (Thanks to Fox). Light for a FS XC bike!
Weaknesses:
Brakes-Hayes Sole. Had to use adjusting screw to increase lever firmess so I wasn't crushing my other fingers while braking. By the end of the race the levers were soft again. Stopping power was weak for disc brakes and also seemed to fade a lot during long descents. My XT hydraulics seem to brake better!
Similar Products Used:
None, first time on a FS XC.
Bike Setup:
Stock
Bottom Line:
I had to rent this bike for a 50 mile race because my hardtail had some mechanical issues. This is the first FS XC I have ridden and it was awesome. I will soon go to a FS setup for racing. Even though I had never ridden this bike, it didn't take long to get comfortable on it. Despite being a little heavier than my hardtail, this bike climbed just as good. It also saved my azz on the downhills since parts of the course were very rough. As I mentioned, I was not impressed with the brakes but those can be upgraded. Great ride for racing or recreational XC!
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Neil Ireland
a Cross Country Rider
from Bolton, Ontario, Canada Date Reviewed: June 20, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Albion Hills Various
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Strengths:
Suspension-Fox front and rear are extremely well balance and rear "zero bob" works as advertised. Light weight...Carbon Frame
Weaknesses:
Brakes-Hayes Sole. These brakes leave a lot to be desired. Initially, I was adjusting them (tightening cable back up to get lever pressure back) after every ride. A pain in butt. Finally a little lock tight and I have eliminated this step. However, they are single piston hydraulic and my Avids on my previous bike had better stopping power and less headaches
Similar Products Used:
None-I am a devoted Giant customer
Bike Setup:
Currently Stock
Bottom Line:
Overall, this is a very nice ride. It is quite light for a FS ride @ 27lbs. Climbing is also very quick for a full suspension and I have not felt compromised in comparison to a hardtail in the least. While the suspension is fairly tight, it is very sufficient for XC riding or racing in that it compresses where needed without getting jarred out of your riding position over bumps. I mentioned the brakes are mediocre at best for a disc. This will likely be my first upgrade.
I must mention that this ride is very quick too. It seems to perform best while going fast and also in tight singletrack. Overall a very worthwhile investment. If you are interested in a bike you can race, either seriously (may want to upgrade a couple of things) or for fun, this is a great buy. Will be interesting to see how well the Carbon holds out...
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
Submitted by
Aaron Martin
a
from San Diego Ca. Usa Date Reviewed: May 10, 2005
Favorite Trail:
Noble Canyon
Duration Product Used:
3 months
Price Paid:
$2000.00
Purchased At:
performance
Strengths:
Best rear suspension charactoristics for climbing and hard cross country. No bobbing, very light.
Weaknesses:
none so far
Similar Products Used:
Enduro comp
Bike Setup:
Mavic 819 tubless, monkey lite bar, panaracer fire 2.2 tires xtr rear and xtr shifters
Bottom Line:
I have the 18.5 and even with my heavier wheelset it is still under 27lbs.The rear shock locks when the chain is under load which makes this bike climb better than any full suspension bike on the market. When I decided to get rid of my Enduro after three years I assesed the riding I was doing and it is mostly cross country with some downhill. I was tired of getting smoked on the climbs. My riding buddies both got NRS's and all of a sudden I wasn't the guy riding up front anymore, I was struggling to keep up. The bottom line is this bike is just plain fast and very responsive. It handles technical climbs better than anything and I can go just as fast on the downhills as I did on my Enduro unless it is really rough. The carbon frame makes for a ride smoothness unlike anything I have felt before. The Fox fork is very rigid and tracks with ease, no flex. This bike is just plain excellent, you will pay twice as much to get anything close from Santa Cruz or Ellsworth and they still won't climb as well.
Value Rating:Overall Rating:
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